This week we read "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud, which discussed the definition of comics and the many aspects that make it a unique art form. McCloud stripped comics down to such a basic degree, and I discovered many things that were plain sight, but that I had not noticed the significance of before. One such moment was when McCloud discussed why comic artists use "cartoons" to illustrate their medium.
As a computer animation major, I have thought a lot about why people like watching cartoons so much. On one hand, I thought it was simply because it looked so appealing; it was a work of art that had entertainment value to it, and therefore a pleasure to look at. On the other hand, I also thought about how in relation to real life, cartoons are simple. And whether showing the happiness of a win, or the complex sadness of losing a loved one, we can connect to the emotional essence that they portray.
I was glad to see that I was a little in line with McCloud's analysis. While he didn't discuss the subjective nature of "appeal," McCloud touched on how simplifying a drawing from its realistic origin amplifies its core meaning. Eliminating other details actually allows us to focus on the important ones, and therefore pushing the clarity of the essential meaning in a way realism can never do.
McCloud also discussed how simplifying cartoons makes them more universal. If less specific to a particular person, it allows for more people to relate to that character. I like this idea of cartoons being able to bring people together in this way.
An idea I'm not too sure I agree with is McCloud's theory for why we like cartoons so much. He explains that when in conversation, we can see other people, and all of the realistic detail of their face. However, we never see our own faces, and therefore have only a vague perception of how we look in that moment. McCloud explains that the reason we like the simplified aesthetic of cartoon character is because it correlates to the nonspecific view we have of ourselves. Therefore whenever we a see a cartoon, we see ourselves. This is an interesting theory. I do recall from my AP psychology class that humans subconsciously look for faces (something McCloud also discusses.) Though logically it makes sense, my first impression whenever I think of McCloud's reasoning sits with me as being a bit of a stretch.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
The Arrival
Prior to our first class, we read The Arrival, a wordless graphic narrative by Shaun Tan.
The Arrival doesn't look like your average comic. Aside from the soft, rendered style of the drawings, the boxes that make each storytelling image range from series of tiny squares to one that takes up the full page with a single illustration.
For the most part, the story is told in the squares. Open to a page, and you will see it perfectly fit and filled with tiny square images. However, it is this choice to compose the images like so that I believe makes the communication of this wordless narrative the most successful. The squares give a consistency, one less thing to be distracted by. Furthermore, the small scale of the squares push your focus into the image. Like a cinematic camera, Tan controlled the reader's eye and focused it on key props or changes in movement.
Another aspect that makes the narrative so clear is the body language of the characters. We have all felt emotions such as confusion, frustration, fear, sadness, and happiness. Tan beautifully chose key poses for his main character to express what he was feeling panel to panel.
Finally, what I felt Tan did to help readers follow the story was set a nice pace at which he transitioned action to action. For example, in the first two panels above, only his right arm makes a big movement, while the rest of his body leans in. You can clearly deduce the movement that transitioned him from upright and holding his hat, to leaning in with a hand moved up to his ear. The whole narrative is excellently done in this way, and never once did I feel lost from wondering what happened from one panel to another.
The Arrival doesn't look like your average comic. Aside from the soft, rendered style of the drawings, the boxes that make each storytelling image range from series of tiny squares to one that takes up the full page with a single illustration.
For the most part, the story is told in the squares. Open to a page, and you will see it perfectly fit and filled with tiny square images. However, it is this choice to compose the images like so that I believe makes the communication of this wordless narrative the most successful. The squares give a consistency, one less thing to be distracted by. Furthermore, the small scale of the squares push your focus into the image. Like a cinematic camera, Tan controlled the reader's eye and focused it on key props or changes in movement.
Another aspect that makes the narrative so clear is the body language of the characters. We have all felt emotions such as confusion, frustration, fear, sadness, and happiness. Tan beautifully chose key poses for his main character to express what he was feeling panel to panel.
Finally, what I felt Tan did to help readers follow the story was set a nice pace at which he transitioned action to action. For example, in the first two panels above, only his right arm makes a big movement, while the rest of his body leans in. You can clearly deduce the movement that transitioned him from upright and holding his hat, to leaning in with a hand moved up to his ear. The whole narrative is excellently done in this way, and never once did I feel lost from wondering what happened from one panel to another.
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